Husker Doc Talk With Terry Pettit

The legendary Nebraska volleyball coach shares leadership insights and explains his early exit from the profession.

Terry Pettit / Nebraska Athletics

Terry Pettit, one of the greatest coaches in any sport, joins Travis Justice and Dr. Rob Zatechka on the latest Husker Doc Talk Podcast.

Pettit retired from volleyball coaching in 2000 at the age of 53. His 82% winning percentage ranks eighth on the NCAA's Division I All-Time list. Undoubtedly, he would have kept coaching; Pettit's win percentage and total wins would have been at the top or close to it.

Pettit coached Nebraska to its first national title in 1995. His teams won 18 Big 8 championships and three Big 12 titles.

Why would a coach seemingly on top of his game, with great teams, fan base, and facilities, walk away at such a young age? Passion, that's why. Pettit loves to write. He didn't set out to be a volleyball coach; he wanted to be a writer. His undergraduate degree was in English, and his master's was in creative writing.

Today, Pettit lives in Colorado and finds his writing inspiration there. He's published three books, including poems in Trust and the River. He also hosts a podcast, "Inside The Coaching Mind," which you can listen to on TerryPettit.com. In addition to writing and podcasting, Pettit is a sought-after speaker at corporate events about leadership and team building. Listen or watch below:

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